Kiki's Delivery Service
Japanese |dubbing_studio1 = Quality Sound Studios |dubbing_studio2 = Studiopolis |director1 = Carl Macek |director2 = Jack Fletcher |translation = Carl Macek (original dub) Jack Fletcher John Semper (redub) |recorded = 1990 1998 |country = United States |orig_country = Japan |year = 1989 }}Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便 Majo no Takkyūbin) is a 1989 Japanese animated fantasy film written, produced and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Eiko Kadono. The film was released on July 22, 1989, and won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize. Dubbing History Kiki's Delivery Service was originally dubbed in 1990 and produced by Carl Macek of Streamline Pictures at the request of Tokuma Shoten for Japan Airlines' international flights. Kiki was portrayed by voice actress Lisa Michelson, who also voiced Satuski in the Streamline Dub of My Neighbor Totoro. This dub would not be released until 1996, when it was released as part of a Japanese Studio Ghibli Laserdisc Box Set. The movie was later redubbed by Disney using an all-star cast; making it the first Studio Ghibli film released under the partnership between The Walt Disney Company and Studio Ghibli; Disney recorded an English dub in 1997, which premiered theatrically in the United States at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 23, 1998. It was released on home video in the U.S. on September 1, 1998. Disney's English dub contained some changes (outlined below), approved by Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Releases since 2010 have been changed; many elements have reverted more towards the original Japanese version. Cast Additional Voices 'Streamline' *Lara Cody - Hometown Friend 1, Tombo's Friend 3 *Barbara Goodson - Hometown Friend 2 *Steve Kramer - Policeman, Street Sweeper *Wendee Lee - Hometown Adult 2 *Carl Macek - Radio Announcer *Melanie MacQueen - Woman *Kerrigan Mahan - Driver 2 *Dave Mallow - Tombo's Friend 1, Dirigible Captain *Diane Michelle - Tombo's Friend 2 *Mike Reynolds - Hometown Adult 1, Ket's Grandmother *Gregory Snegoff - TV Newscaster, Kiki's 2nd Customer *Doug Stone - Bakery Customer 1, Driver 1, Hotel Receptionist 'Buena Vista' *June Angela *Corey Burton - Radio Announcer *Eddie Frierson *Susan Hickman *John Hostetter - Dirigible Captain *Sherry Lynn *Scott Menville *Matthew Kermit Miller - Policeman, Receptionist Notes *Disney's dub is the final role of comedian Phil Hartman before being murdered on May 28, 1998. The dub premiered only 5 days before his death; later releases are dedicated to his memory. *The depiction of the cat, Jiji, changed significantly in the Disney version. In the Japanese version Jiji is voiced by Rei Sakuma, while in the English version Jiji is voiced by Phil Hartman. In Japanese culture, cats are usually depicted with feminine voices, whereas in American culture their voices are more gender-specific. **A number of Hartman's lines exist where Jiji simply says nothing in the original. Jiji's personality is notably different between the two versions, showing a more cynical and sarcastic attitude in the Disney English version as opposed to cautious and conscientious in the original Japanese. Later releases by Disney remove these ad-libs so as to be closer to the original Japanese version. *In the original Japanese script, Kiki loses her ability to communicate with Jiji permanently, but the Disney version adds a line that implies that she is once again able to understand him at the end of the film. Miyazaki has said that Jiji is the immature side of Kiki, and this implies that Kiki, by the end of the original Japanese version, has matured beyond talking to her cat. *More minor changes in Disney's dub to appeal to the different teenage habits of the day include Kiki drinking hot chocolate instead of coffee and referring to "cute boys" instead of to "the disco". Video Releases External Links *''Kiki's Delivery Service'' (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia *''Kiki's Delivery Service'' at the Internet Movie Database Category:Anime Films Category:American Dubbing Category:Dubs from the 1990's Category:Studio Ghibli Films Category:Anime Films from the 1980's Category:Streamline Pictures Category:Disney Category:Multi-Dubs